The incorporation of electrical circuits into tire assemblies allows for a variety of functions including pressure monitoring, temperature monitoring, and the tracking of identification data and other information. An electromechanical transducer element, such as a piezo element, can be used to power the electrical circuit. The electromechanical transducer element converts forces imparted thereon into electrical power for use in running the electrical circuit.
One way of imparting forces to the electromechanical transducer element resides in utilizing tire deformation during vehicle operation. Deformation in the tire may produce, for example, a strain field of up to 50,000 microstrain that can be converted into electrical energy. However, subjecting the electromechanical transducer element to this amount of strain may cause the element to break if, for instance, the optimum peak strain of the element is 3000 microstrain. Furthermore, deformations within a tire during operation are generally non-uniform in amount and direction, creating difficulties in properly orienting a transducer element to efficiently harness energy from the deformations. Accordingly, a device that carries the electromechanical transducer element and imparts mechanical forces in a predetermined way (i.e. a desired stress-strain relationship) to the electromechanical transducer element when the tire experiences deformation would be useful.